We think he has a very good imagination and should be writing books on his factitious world of fantasy.

McLarnon claims to have served in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) from 30 June 1975 until 14 June 1982 Northern Ireland during which time he was attached  3^rd QRF (Quick Reaction Force), 22 SAS United Kingdom . A total number of 7 years service with the RUC and 22 SAS.

The QRF was part of the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) is Britain's newest special operations unit. Formed around a core component of members of the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment (1para), with additional troops from the Royal Marines and the RAF regiment, the SFSG provides infantry and specialised support to SAS and SBS special operations.

You will note under Campaign and Service medals, he states he was awarded the Police Service Medal which denotes the award of the George Cross, no other medals are mentioned. More on that medal later under medals entitlements.

Again in these documents he is only claiming service with the RUC and 22 SAS as part of an RUC Police Special Services Unit stationed at “D” Division Head Quarters, North Belfast and no mention of service with the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) a military unit.

A specialist anti-terrorist unit was formed and named the Special Patrol Group as a part of the RUC. It was formed in the early 1970’s and disbanded in 1980. The unit was made up of RUC police officers who received special training in handling side arms (semi-auto pistols) and sub-machine guns. They were used for high risk arrests or searches of houses for weapons and bombs. They may have worked with Special Force (SF) units on occasions but were not part of an SF unit.

He also claims to have been Parachute Regiment trained. This is highly unlikely as he was a Police Officer who is a civilian and not a member of the Defence Force. Only military personnel from all branches of the Defence Forces can do a Basic Static Line Parachute course if it is requirement for them to carry out their duties. Members of the Defence Forces applying for a Special Force unit, if not already qualified, must pass the Selection Course for that unit before going on to qualify as a Basic Static Line Parachutist and further advanced parachute courses.

He has made claims of serving in a number of countries in operations in the UK, Europe, North Africa and Central America whilst a member of the RUC attached to 22 SAS.

The British Army was in Northern Ireland from 1969 through to 1997 when 30,000 troops were withdrawn reducing the force to just 5,000, with the last group 2^nd Battalion Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment vacating the Army complex on 25 June 2007. The RUC was renamed in 2001 as the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Research on the internet shows RUC officers did serve in Bosnia and Kosovo as peace keepers, which would have only occurred after NATO and United Nations intervened which ended the hostilities between the warring parties. Hostilities took place in Bosnia between April 1992 and December 1995, in Kosovo that occurred between 1998 and 1999. Only a small group of PSNI officers are recorded as serving in Iraq to train police in the town of Basra after the fall of Saddam.

As for his service records McLarnon can apply for a record of his service with the RUC and any military unit he served with through the appropriate channels in the UK to confirm his service and he is aware of this as he has stated that himself.

On looking at this document, it looks nothing like any military documents ANZMI have seen over the years. The title for 22 SAS is not 22^nd Special Air Service. If you wish to read up on 22 Special Air Service Regiment, the correct title, click onto the following link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Air_Service

Close Quarter Combat (CQB), it takes years of training to obtain a Black Belt in Martial Arts. The army runs Unarmed Combat Courses to deal with hand to hand fighting. CQB is part of Counter Terrorist Training which includes firing pistols and sub-machine guns at close quarters and being able to instinctively get a head shot without having to aim in the split seconds you have to react and avoid hitting any hostages. It takes a long time and training to reach that stage.

If you look at the “Required Training-Passed Date”, the year is 1975, the same year he joined the RUC. What would take years to get the qualifications listed, McLarnon appears to have done in a very short period of time. ANZMI does not think anything further needs to be said about that document.

As you can see from his application to join the Tri-Service Retreat Inc, he repeats his claims to have served in the UK, Europe, North Africa, and Central America and only suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Further information received states he was wounded in action against the IRA.

You will also note that he uses the Post Nominals GC after his name. McLarnon has never been awarded a George Cross Medal and therefore is not entitled to place the Post Nominals after his name and he is not entitled to wear the RUC GC medal he is wearing when the RUC was awarded the George Cross Medal as a Unit Citation. Similar to the award made to the island of Malta during World War Two, which is shown on its flag.

He now has added that he served in the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), a military unit as well as the RUC. That would be done to cover him wearing the General Service Medal as it was not issued to the RUC.

We contacted the RUC George Cross Foundation giving them the information we had and received the following reply.

XXXX

To answer your questions

1 The award of the George Cross was to the organisation and therefore no one is allowed to wear a George Cross or to have the post numerals GC.

 

2 It would appear that Mr R McLarnon served in the RUC but as a member of the Reserve.

 

3 He would be entitled to wear the RUC service medal which was issued long before the George Cross.

 

4 I have no indication that he served in the UDR but the Military General Service medal with the Northern Ireland bar would be appropriate for such services.

 

5 The service numbers are incorrect.

6 It is unlikely that he was attached to other arms as it is unlikely that he would have served outside Northern Ireland.

I also enclose a copy of another enquiry from Australia and the similarities are startling. Contact XXXXX XXXXXX (mail to: deleted) his enquiry dated 3 May 2008.

XXX

We also contacted the Ulster Defence Regiment and after sending out the information to branches, the following information was received.

HI XXXX,

Reply to one of my contacts from a man who served in SAS for 24 years. Excuse the abbreviated language..

XXXXXX XXXXX.

Hi XXXXXX, see from XXX he was 22 SAS for 24 years,

Hi XXXXX Robert McLarnon is not entitled to wear SAS Tie or blazer badge, if he was only attached, you have got to have served with 21 SAS , 22 SAS ,23 SAS ,  Has he got a SAS association, number ? And he is wearing the Queens Jubilee, it was only awarded to all serving personal at the time and you must have 5 years service, it was awarded about 5 or 6 years ago. He would have been too young for Korea, Malaya and Borneo, Aden, if he was in the UDR from the start surly he would have the UDR medal, I would f..k him off ,hope this helps mate XXX ,you can pass this on to XXXX XXXXXX if you wish ,

We appreciate the assistance from the RUC George Cross Foundation and the UDR Association.

McLarnon also stated he was a member of the Campbelltown RSL NSW which he joined in 2002, badge number 15705 when he applied to join the Hervey Bay RSL. The President of Hervey Bay RSL contacted the President of Campbelltown  RSL and on checking their records back to 1998, they have no record of McLarnon being a member of their sub-branch.

We have received assistance from the Hervey Bay RSL and one of the members has supplied a Statutory Declaration in which you can read the exaggerated stories McLarnon has been telling the members.

He has made claims that he used his flak jacket to protect a pregnant woman who later gave birth to a son and called him Rob. He states he was a police officer in the Bronx area of New York in the USA, which is hard to believe considering you have to live in the USA for five years before getting citizenship to get a job with the military or government department. His exploits in South America and South Africa is also stretching the imagination.

His claim that he killed 400 people whilst he was attached to 22 SAS, stretching the fantasy a little bit more.

The biggest fantasy would have to be about the Bali bombings which took place on 12 October 2002 when 202 people were killed , 88 of them Australian and a further 240 injured. Being a secret group of ex SAS the Australian Government recruited them to go to Bali to take out the terrorists, but backed out at the last minute. McLarnon obviously does not know that Australia has its own SAS Regiment.

He wears the SAS beret and Badge most likely UK and has now taken to wearing the Commando beret. At present we do not have photos of him wearing either beret, but we would appreciate it, if someone does have a photograph of McLarnon wearing either beret if they could forward it to us. Next ANZAC Day would be a good time to get one if anyone sees him. He does believe his own lies as he has been telling them long enough to march next ANZAC Day wearing all his medals and either beret.

Robert McLarnon’s medals are a real mixture, most likely bought by McLarnon himself.

The RUC Medal GC issued 4 November 2001 Official, but not entitled to this medal (The RUC George Cross Foundation stated he may have been in the RUC Reserve and his service numbers are incorrect. Had he served in the RUC Reserve he would only be entitled to the original RUC medal issued in 1982)

This is the medal he should be wearing which was instituted on 20 July 1982 and not the one with the blue edges which was instituted 4 November 2001 when the RUC received the Unit Citation for the George Cross.

The RUC Medal, first medal instituted 1982

                                                                                 

The RUC Medal showing it was awarded the George Cross as a Unit Citation, second medal.

 

Within two years of being awarded the George Cross the RUC was replaced by the PSNI (Police Service Northern Ireland)

General Service Medal clasp Northern Ireland. Official medal, entitlement doubtful (The UDR Association no longer have access to the records and could not confirm that he served with them bearing in mind the two service numbers stated by Mc Larnon are incorrect and the fact that he claims to have been attached to 22 SAS Regiment serving with them all over the world. Also McLarnon makes no mention or gives any dates as to having served with the UDR in his application to join Hervey Bay RSL). He is not entitled to it by serving with the RUC as they were issued the RUC Service Medal.

Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal 2002. Official medal, not entitled as he was here in Australia at the time and not a serving member of the British Military Forces.

The procedure for the issue of the Golden Jubilee Medal 2002 was entirely different. It was not offered to Australia for general issue to Australians. As a consequence, very few Australians are entitled to the Golden Jubilee Medal 2002. The only exception is the small number of people who received the medal as a personal gift from the British Government. For example, Australia’s only two living Victoria Cross recipients did receive the medal. (At the time)

 

Active Service Medal. Unofficial medal, what we refer to as a purchased tin medal and should not be worn.

Defence Meritorious Service Medal (USA) 3^rd Highest Award, official medal, not entitled, only awarded to the US Military

The Defence Meritorious Service Medal

(DMSM) was established by Executive Order 12019 on 3 November 1977 and implemented by DOD 1348.33–M.

The DMSM shall be awarded in the name of the Secretary of Defence only to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who, after November 3, 1977, distinguished themselves by noncombat meritorious achievement or service.

Only under the most unusual circumstances will the DMSM be awarded as an impact award for outstanding TDY (Temporary Duty, US military abbreviation) achievement. The DMSM is specifically intended to recognize exceptionally meritorious service performance and to honour an individual's accomplishments over a sustained period.

The eagle is symbolic of the United States; the pentagon shape alludes to the Department of Defence, and the laurel wreath represents achievement. The colours, crimson and white, are duplicates of the colours of the Legion of Merit ribbon. Bluebird is the colour associated with the Department of Defence.

Note: Update of information received after ANZMI forward McLarnon’s documents to the RUC George Cross Foundation, Ulster Defence Regiment and the Police Service Northern Ireland.

From the RUC

XXXX

I am advised that the military numbers are incorrect in that there are not sufficient digits. The number for the RUC GC service is incorrect and in fact we have identified the officer whose number it is.

XXXXX

This is from a soldier who served in the UDR.

Hi XXXX

I've just read his claims, and while it is unbelievable it also angers me when people claim to be something they quite obviously are not. In saying that I found myself shaking my head and smirking to myself in total disbelief at his claims, the man must be one of the biggest Walters I've ever heard of, and I can only imagine the stories he must have told his wife and family (and God knows who else) !!!

 I know that what I say may not be of any help or change anything, but from what he claims I have noted the following; -

He makes reference to the RUC and quickly states the award of the George Cross,  while he is correct in that the award of the GC was made to the RUC it was a 'collective' award and not to any individual as I think he is trying to imply (now that he's living in Queensland where nobody knows him I wouldn't be surprised if he's actually wearing one).

 The RUC never had a Special Service Unit. They did have SPG (Special Patrol Groups). These groups received more range/weapon training than the ordinary policeman and would have been called in after intelligence was received to carry out searches for weapons, etc. while the ordinary policeman would have manned the cordon, etc , but they certainly didn't have a 'specialised unit' that worked solely with the SAS on a regular basis as he implies.

The RUC would have had dealings with Special Forces, just as they had with all units and Regiments in the province, but this would have been carried out by Special Branch in order to supply information and if an operation was to be carried out then either the area would have been sterilised completely or the RUC/Army/UDR would have been used to patrol the area at a distance. They were never attached to the Special Forces as he again would have you believe. He may have been in the RUC and he may have been on a particular job knowing that something was happening, but he certainly would not have been doing what he implies as an RUC officer.

 As a Soldier I was also of the opinion that to even apply for the SAS (or Special Forces) you first had to have five years Military Service. As a member of the RUC (a policeman) he was a 'civilian',  if I've got this right I gather that he only served in the RUC and that he had no further Service after leaving them in 1982 ???  If that is so then I find it impossible to believe, or even consider, that the SAS would train a 'civilian' in all the things he claims, particularly when his 'certificate' clearly states that HALO is a requirement ??????  And why on earth would a mere policeman need to be Para trained? OK, he may have done a parachute jump (as many of us have) but that doesn't make him 'Parachute Regiment trained' ... and I can't believe that anyone could be deceived by anything he has produced as it's clearly fake, just as he is.

Please keep me informed. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he perhaps served in the RUC, but I think I can safely say that he was never in the Ulster Defence Regiment. Thankfully the good, decent, honourable and brave officers and Soldiers of the RUC and UDR more than make up for the likes of Mr, McLarnon.

XXXXXX

As can be seen from the information received by the RUC George Cross Foundation, the UDR Association and the documents in McLarnon’s own hand as well as the lies he has told, McLarnon does live in a world of fantasy. As he is in Australia, he most likely thought he would get away with spinning his false yarns. His time has run out and he has lost a lot of friends he had by telling tall stories.

We do expect more information will be forth coming once this goes to air.

For his actions Robert McLarnon will grace our web site for the world to see as he has stolen the valour of the real police officers of the RUC who died or were injured doing their duty.

 He has tarnished his name and brought shame on himself and family. He has also shown a total disrespect to 22 SAS Regiment, Royal Ulster Constabulary, and Ulster Defence Regiment and to the meaning of medals he falsely wears.

We have received more information and more photographs of Mclarnon, a couple of him wearing the UK SAS beret. McLarnon was never a member of the UK SAS and is not entitled to wear the beret or any other items which indicate he was a member of the UK SAS, such as the tie, badge on his jacket, lapel badge, let alone the beret.

We have also received a copy of a document created by McLarnon as a history of his military service and service to the community. In the document he states he did active service from 1975 to 1982. In his Statutory Declaration already on his case page you will see that service was only with the RUC and allegedly attached to 22 SAS UK. This we know is false. As you will see earlier in the case he supplied incorrect service numbers for the RUC and believe this service to be false.

He claims to have participated in a US exchange program with the New York Police Department serving with the 41^st Precinct in the Bronx. It has been confirmed with the RUC that no exchange program with the New York Police was ever in place during that time period.

He also claims to have served with the 1^st Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) in a Recon Platoon. We have been contacted by a member that served in that Battalion at the time. He advised us that no battalion in the UDR had a Recon Platoon and he and others do not recall his McLarnon’s name or that he served in the 1^st Battalion UDR. McLarnon fails to state what years he served with the UDR.

As our ex UDR member stated everybody knew who was in their battalion, you may not know everyone in the Regiment which would have consisted of a number of battalions, but most certainly you would know members of your own unit.

The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross was awarded as a unit citation to both the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment in October 2006. As the United Kingdom does not have unit citation medals or insignias as the Australian forces, members wore a small CGC lapel badge either on their lapel or on the ribbon of their Northern Ireland Campaign Service Medal, the General Service Medal. The RUC have two lapel badges, one indicating the issue of the George Cross. Another lapel badge that has popped up is an SAS/RUC lapel badge. With the recent killing of an Irish police officer by hard line IRA (Irish Republican Army), it is doubtful if anyone would wear a lapel badge that would make them a target for the IRA.

It appears McLarnon is a born liar and fraud who has made up a false CV of what he has done during his lifetime. We already know from a retired New South Wales police Sergeant that McLarnon’s claims of being a private instructor to the NSW Tactical Response Team is false as each State Police Force would have their own instructors that would have been trained by the Australian SAS in Counter Terrorist work.

 As for the rest of the information he has put in the document, it should be treated as very doubtful especially his claim of have a degree in Criminal Law. He does fail to mention with which University and when he received these degrees.

McLarnon is an out right liar and lives in a world of his own making up stories as he goes and expects people to believe him.

You will notice in the Statutory Declaration supplied by our informant that McLarnon is under investigation for discrepancies in funds when he was the Treasurer of the Tri Service Retreat Inc which sends parcels to our troops serving overseas which we highly commend them for. The discrepancies are between his reports and the bank statements, so what else does that make him. A large sum of money has mysteriously appeared in the Tri Service Hervey Bay Inc account. It is not known who placed the money in the account.

Robert McLarnon you have made many enemies within the area you live. Our advice to you is to get rid of false medals and desist from telling any more outlandish lies about your service as we have been informed that three English gentlemen turned up on ANZAC Day looking for you, but you were nowhere to be seen